Ucross, the acclaimed residency program in Wyoming, announced its latest exhibition "In Company" at the Ucross Art Gallery, which opened on May 30 during Founder's Day. The exhibition pairs seven former artists-in-residence with seven artists who have influenced their creative practice, featuring works across painting, photography, sculpture, installation, literature, music, and film. Featured Ucross Fellows include Lars Jan, Tracy Linder, Katie Merz, Nathalie Miebach, Kristen Schiele, Tip Toland, and Sarah Williams, while invited constellation artists include Richard Misrach, Deborah Butterfield, Charley Friedman, Steve Reich, Emily Noelle Lambert, Richard Notkin, and Matt Bollinger. The show was co-curated by Program Director Tawni Shuler, Gallery Associate Lacasa Michelena, and Gallery Advisor Brittney Denham-Whisonant.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the enduring influence and global reach of Ucross's residency program, making visible the often-invisible networks of artistic kinship and collaboration. By structuring the show around mentor-mentee or peer relationships, "In Company" offers a model for how art institutions can foreground creative exchange over individual achievement. The exhibition also underscores Ucross's unique position as a major contemporary art venue on a working cattle ranch in rural Wyoming, challenging expectations about where significant art can be found.